Cable equalizer



Aug. 29, 1933.

N. o. LINDSTROM ETAL CABLE EQUALIZER Filed July 30, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I INVENTORS 714.4 0 05M M3,

ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 29, 1933 CABLE EQUALIZER Nils o." Lindstrom, Nutley, N. J., and Lars Gottfrid Persson, New York, N. Y., assignors to A. B. See Elevator Company, Inc., a corporation of Delaware Application July'30, 1930. Serial No. 471,664 Claims. (Cl. 187-1) Our invention relates to a means for equalizing cables. plates a system or means for equalizing the cables in an elevator-system, which cables extend be- 5 tween the elevator car and the counterpoise weights. v

Generally, in elevator systems a plurality of cables extend between the elevatorcar and the counterpoise weights. These cables pass over a drum, and in electrical elevators, form one link in the train for the transmission of power from the elevator motor to the elevator car. The'commercial cable or wire rope used for this purpose is not ofuniform size, the diameter of the cable often varying'as much as 3 of an inch from the Specified diameter. This variation in the size of the elevator cable v causes creeping of the e1eva,

tor cables. Unless this creeping of the elevator cablesis compensated for it results in an uneven distribution of the weight of the elevator car and of the counterpoise weights over the several cables andimaterially affects the useful life of the cables. In accordance with our invention, we provide means for equalizing the cables which compensates for the, creeping of. the cables. We employ. a plurality of whippletrees at the counterpoise weight and a corresponding number of whippletrees at the elevator car, the ends of the cables extending between the elevator car and the counterpoise weight being secured to the whippletrees. At the elevator car, we use an equalizer which consists oia plurality of whippletrees. There is eral whippletrees, which securing member is adjustable in accordance with the forces acting upon the whippletrees. H I

"Specifically, we provide, at the counterpoise weights, half as many-whippletrees as there are cables, and at the elevator car we provide the same number of whippletrees. The whippletrees at the elevator car are in the form of a cable equalizer. Each of the whippletrees have anchor members which extend through a plate that is secured to the lower flanges of the elevator cross-beams. On the lower surface of the plate through which the anchor members extend, there is a pivot. A second plate abuts against this pivot, the second plate having a depression to, receive the pivot, To this second plate which abuts against the pivot, the anchor members of the several whippletrees are secured, the anchor members being uniformly distributed around the pivot point of the plate. It will be obvious that if -a greater force is exerted upon the anchor member In particular the invention contem-.

a securing member which is common to the sev-v of any one of the several whippletrees, the plate will tilt about the pivot to change the relation of the several whippletrees in accordance with the forces .acting thereupon.

A more detailed understanding of our invention will be had from the following particular description of one embodiment thereof as shown in the accompanyingdrawings in which: Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic elevation of an elevator car and its counterpoiseweight; V

Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation of the equalizer used on the elevator car;

. whippletrees in plan.

In the drawings there is shown an elevatorcar 1 and a counterpoise weight 2 cooperating therewith. Elevator cables extend from the elevator car 1 over a drum .4 to the counterpoise weight 2. The ends of the cables, six in numbenare secured to whippletrees which are in turn secured to the counterpoise weight, and the elevator car. The whippletrees at the elevator car are in the form of an equalizer. Each of the three whipple- 7 trees 5, 6 and"? have anchor members 8 extending therefrom. These anchor members extend through a plate 9 which rests upon and is ser cured to the upper flanges of the channel-shaped cross-beams 10 and 11 of the elevatorcar, and' througha lower plate 12 which abuts against and is secured to the lower flanges of the cross-beams. On the lower surface of the plate 12, there is a pivot 13 which is formed integral with the plate 12. A plate 14 having a depression 15 therein to accommodate the pivot 13 on the plate 12 abuts against'thepivot. The anchor members 8 of the whippletrees extend through the plate 14 and are adjusted therein by nuts 16 which are held in place by lock-nuts 17. The openings inthe plate 9 at the top of the cross-beams and the plate 12, at the bottomof the cross-beams, are a trifle larger than the anchor members so that the an-'. chor members are free for limited movement therein. The whippletrees 5, 6 and 7 are positioned so that the anchor members are equally distributed about the pivot point of the plate 14. In the equalizer shown, these anchor members are angularly displaced through angles of With this arrangement, it will be seen that if theforces acting on the cables secured to any one of the whippletrees are greater than the forces acting upon the cables secured to another of the 1m whippletrees, the plate will move about the pivot point to equalize the forces acting upon the several whippletrees.

The manner in which the cables are connected to the several whippletrees is shown in Figs. 4 and 5. It will be seen that the cables secured to any whippletree at one end are secured to difierent whippletrees at the opposite end. Thus, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the outside cables 18 and 19 are secured to opposite sides of the whippletree 20 at the counterpoise weight. The opposite end of the cable 18 is secured to one side of whippletree 5 at the car, and the opposite end of the cable 19 is secured to one side of whippletree 7 at the car. The intermediate cable 21 is secured at one end to the other side of whippletree 5 at the elevator car and at the other end to one side of a whippletree 22 at the counterpoise weight, and the intermediate cable 23' is secured at one end to the other side of whippletree '7 at the elevator car and at the other end to one side of a whippletree 24 at the coun'terpoise weight. The other sides of whippletrees 22 and 24 at the counterpoise weight are secured to the central cables 25 and 26 respectively, the opposite end of these cables 25 and 26 being secured to whippletree 6 at the elevator car. Thus, it will be seen that the cables secured to any whippletree at the counterpoise weight, are not common to any single whippletree at the car, and likewise, the cables secured to a whippletree at the car, are not common to any single whippletree at the counterpoise weight. In this manner, any uneven distribution of the forces acting on the several cables will be immediately compensated for and each cable will hold its share of the weight supported by the several cables.

From the foregoing detailed description of the embodiment of our invention shown in the drawings, it will be apparent that we have provided a system for compensating for any uneven distribution of the forces acting upon the several cables whether this uneven distribution results from creeping of the elevator cables or any other cause. It will also be apparent that this equalizing not only takes place between the cables individually, but also takes place between the whippletrees at the elevator car.

It is obvious that various changes may be made in the details of the embodiment illustrated in the drawings and above particularly described within the principle and scope of our invention, and, therefore, we desire that only such limitations be placed upon the appended claims as are contained therein or required by the prior art.

We claim:

1. A cable equalizing device comprising a plate mounted on an anchor member to pivot about its center, a plurality of whippletrees adapted to be secured to the ends of cables, anchor members for each of said whippletrees extending through said plate, and abutments on the ends of said anchor members adapted to abut against the plate.

2. A cable equalizing device comprising an anchor plate having a pivot extending therefrom, a second plate abutting against the end of said pivot, a plurality of whippletrees adapted to be secured to the ends of cables, anchor members for each of said whippletrees extending through both of said plates, and abutments on the ends of said anchor members adapted to abut against said second mentioned plate.

3. A cable equalizing device comprising an anchor plate having a pivot extending at right angles thereto, a second plate abutting against the end of said pivot and having a depression therein to receive the pivot, a plurality of whippletrees adapted to be secured to the ends of cables, anchor members for each of said whippletrees extending through both of said plates and being slidable therein, and abutments on the ends of said anchor members adapted to abut against said second mentioned plate.

4. In an elevator system, a pair of spaced parallel beams constituting a draw head for an elevator car, an upper plate spanning said beams and secured to the upper edges of the beams, an intermediate plate spanning said beams and secured to the lower edges thereof, a pivot extending downwardly from said intermediate plate midway of the beams, a lower plate abutting against the end of said pivot and having a depression at its center to receive the pivot, a plurality of whippletrees, cables for transmitting motion to the elevator car secured at their ends to the whippletrees, an anchor member for each of said whippletrees extending through all of said plates and between the beams of the draw head and being slidable in the plates, the anchor members being distributed about the pivot on said intermediate plate, and abutments on the ends of said anchor members adapted to abut against the lower plate.

5. In an elevator system, a pair of spaced parallel beams constituting a draw head for an elevator car, an upper plate spanning said beams and secured to the upper edges thereof, an intermediate plate spanning said beams and secured to the lower edges thereof, a pivot extending downwardly from the intermediate plate midway of the beams, a lower plate abutting against the end of the pivot and having a depression at its center to receive the pivot, three whippletrees, cables for transmitting motion to the elevator car secured at their ends to the whippletrees, an anchor member for each of the whippletrees extending through all of said plates between the beams of the draw head and being slidable in the plates, the anchor members being arranged equidistant from the pivot and equally spaced about the pivot on the intermediate plate, and abutments on the ends of said anchor members adapted to abut against the lower plate.

NILS O. LINDSTROM. LARS GOTTFRID PERSSON. 

